The Office of the Provost sponsors partnerships that expand student access and create new pathways to come to Mason—all while providing the support students need to earn their degrees. Our strategic partnerships help us to:
- Attract more international students
- Enable students everywhere to take classes online
- Engage and support community college students
- Support adults trying to complete their degrees
- Establish strategic alliances with business, government, and other educational institutions
- Create new revenue streams
4-VA, INTO Mason, and the Wiley collaboration are ongoing partnerships within the Office of the Provost which engage across the whole university to discover, integrate, connect, and engage.
4-VA
4-VA is a collaborative partnership between eight Virginia universities that is powered by four initiatives: collaborative research, course redesign, course sharing, and degree completion. Our mission is to promote collaborations that leverage the strengths of each partner university and improve efficiencies in higher education across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Mason was a founding member of the 4-VA collaborative in 2010, along with James Madison University, the University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Military Institute, and William and Mary have joined since then. Together, we support a broad range of initiatives with resources to develop programs and pedagogies that advance educational design and research.
The Four Initiatives
- Collaborative Research: Collaborate on research projects to leverage university resources and become competitive for external awards.
- Course Redesign: Redesign STEMH+ courses for improved student success with technology-supported pedagogy.
- Course Sharing: Share courses, expand local expertise and increase efficiencies for course capacity.
- Degree Completion: Increase access to courses, especially high-demand STEM courses, across the Commonwealth.
4-VA@Mason identifies and imagines the potential in small but bright ideas in education, research, and student success—and then provides opportunities for each to grow.
INTO Mason
Mason has an international reach and reputation: Students from more than 130 nations have chosen to study here. However, some need help to master English well enough to get the most from their classes. That's where INTO Mason steps in.
Mason collaborates with INTO University Partnerships to recruit students and provide language instruction and pathway programs. International students who are academically prepared, but need additional English language skills can gain full admission into a degree program after completing the INTO Mason program.
INTO will also provide English language support services to multilingual members of the Mason community. Students that instructors believe are struggling academically due to language comprehension challenges should be directed to the INTO Mason Learning Resource Center. Services are provided at a nominal cost, or for free in some cases.
INTO George Mason University supports international students from application to graduation.
Wiley Partnership
More Mason students are embracing the flexibility of online learning. George Mason University's partnership with Wiley will remove the obstacles of demanding D.C. work schedules and cumbersome commutes by offering a selection of fully online graduate degree programs.
George Mason University’s 10-year agreement with Wiley allows Mason to focus on delivering affordable high-quality academics while delegating technical support, marketing analysis and materials, prospective student outreach, and enrollment and retention services to Wiley Education Services. Students who are unable to attend classes on campus can now access professional graduate programs fully online.
The initial master’s programs that Mason offered through the partnership included business, health systems management, health informatics, and special education, with certificates in applied behavioral analysis and autism. Since its launch in January 2018, additional programs have been brought online.
Choosing Mason Online means that students can earn their degrees in ways that fit their lives.